Mate (pronounced mah-teh) is a drink made by steeping the dried leaves of the yerba mate plant in hot water. The Guarani Indians of South America were the first to discover the rejuvenating qualities of yerba mate which is now enjoyed in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, parts of Brazil, Chile, eastern Bolivia, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. It tastes like green tea with a hint of tobacco and oak. To enjoy mate perfectly, you have to prepare it as written below.
Ingredients
- Yerba mate
- Cold water
- Hot water but not boiling
Step
Method 1 of 2: Traditional
Step 1. Get pumpkin and bombilla
Mate is traditionally brewed and served in an empty flask (called mate) and drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla (pronounced bom-bi-ya). There are also mate glasses made of metal, ceramic or wood. You can use a regular tea cup, but you'll definitely need a bombilla.
Pumpkin used for the first time must be preserved first, otherwise the first few drinks in it will taste a little bitter. Preserving it is by removing the soft inner layer of the pumpkin and "seasoning" the inside with a mate flavor. Fill the flask with boiling water almost to the metal rim (or the top or mouth if there is no metal rim) and let sit for 10 minutes. Then gently scrape the inner membrane of the flask with a metal spoon under running water (but don't remove the stem in the middle). Finally, place the cleaned pumpkin in the sun for a day or two to dry completely
Step 2. Squeeze the dried yerba mate in the pumpkin by less than half
Step 3. Place your hands on the pumpkin containing the yerba mate and turn the pumpkin over
Beat the powdery leaves all the way to the top of the pumpkin. This ensures that you do not later suck the leaf powder through the bombilla.
Step 4. Turn the pumpkin over to sleep on its sides and shake it back and forth again
This will bring the larger stems to the surface, which in turn will help filter out this powdery foliage. Slowly and carefully tilt the pumpkin right side up so that the yerba mate stays in the stack on one side.
Step 5. Put the bombilla in the pumpkin
You can add cold water before or after adding the bombilla depending on your personal preference or the culture you follow. However, cold water will help preserve the integrity of the mate.
- Place the bombilla in an empty space near the leaf pile, being careful not to damage the pile. Place the tip of the bombilla into the base near the pumpkin wall, as far away from the leaf pile as possible. Then put cold water into the empty space until just before the top of the leaf pile and wait for it to be absorbed. Try to keep the powdery tips of the leaves dry.
- Alternatively, pour cold water into the empty space in the pumpkin until it reaches the top of the leaf pile, and wait for it to absorb. Gently compact the sloping pile of leaves; This compaction helps the mate stay that way later. Place the tip of the bombilla into the base near the pumpkin wall, as far away from the leaf pile as possible.
Step 6. Pour hot water into the empty space as you would with cold water
It is important to use hot water (70–80 °C, 160–180 °F) instead of boiling water, as boiling water will make the mate bitter.
Step 7. Drink from bombilla
People who drink mate for the first time tend to tamp the bombilla and stir the leaves. Resist the temptation to do so, as you will compress the bombilla and cause the leaves to sink into the straw. Drink the whole mate in front of you, don't take a sip and pass it around. You will hear a sound similar to when you drink with a straw.
- When taken together, the first infusion is traditionally drunk by the person preparing the mate. If you're the one, drink the mate until there's no water left, then fill the pumpkin with hot water again and give it to the next person, sharing the same bombilla.
- Continue filling the flask as it passes from person to person (one brew per person) until the flavor is gone (called lavado in Spanish, because it tastes "washed out"); usually after brewing 10 times, more or less (depending on quality). The stack of leaves can be pushed to the other side of the pumpkin and filled with hot water a few more times to get all the flavor out.
- To signal that you don't want to die again, thank "el cebador" (the creator). Remember, thank only once after you were your last mate, because once you say thank you, it will be understood that you don't want to yate again.
Step 8. Clean the pumpkin (or whatever you drink it from) when you're done and allow it to dry
Containers made from organic materials will rot and your mate will be affected by the taste.
Method 2 of 2: Alternative
Step 1. The selection of how to make yerba mate below is easy to do, but tastes quite different from the traditional technique
It is recommended to try the traditional method, then experiment with the methods below until you get a similar taste.
- In Paraguay Yerba Mate is drunk cold, replacing hot water with water and ice, sometimes with a spice mixture, and instead of pumpkin, yerba mate is drunk inside the horn of a cow. This method is known as "Terere".
- In some places like Argentina, mate is also sold in tea bags (called mate cocido) so it can be brewed like regular tea (but still not in boiling water).
Step 2. You can also apply yerba mate like brewed tea; Brew it in hot water (the amount depends on how strong you want it to be, you can experiment) and strain the leaves before drinking
- If you have a coffee press, you can also prepare mate with it. See How to Use a French Press or Cafetiere.
- You can also make a mate with a regular automatic coffee maker. Just put the mate where you usually put ground coffee.
Step 3. If you don't like the taste of Yerba Mate, you can replace it with grated coconut and add warm milk instead of warm water
This is great for kids and sweet drink lovers in winter.
Tips
- You can also add fresh mint leaves, or other aromatic herbs directly to the water.
- For a sweeter finish, add sugar or honey to the pumpkin before pouring the hot water.
- Mate contains caffeine; although usually not as much in tea or coffee.
- In some parts of South America, fruit peels such as oranges are added to spices, or brewed with almost hot milk.
- You also add Chamomile (which from Egypt has a stronger taste), mint leaves, dew flower, into Yerba Mate.
- In summer, try making a "tereré" by substituting hot water for iced water or lemonade. For tereré, it's better to serve it in a small metal glass or glass jar with a metal lid (mason jar) rather than a pumpkin.
Warning
- Remember that you drink hot liquid through a metal straw, the straw will be hot! Take a sip at the beginning.
- Note that the research conducted is not extensive and cannot confirm any claims about cancer. There is experimental research that claims that colon cancer can be specifically eliminated by yerba mate. * Cancer research on yerba mate did not look at the toxic content of 'alpaca' or 'German Silver', also known as nickel silver. Its toxic content is known to have detrimental health effects including cancer. Future research may reveal that pumpkin ornaments and 'bombilla' made of complex minerals are the cause of the cancer.
- Studies indicate people who drink a lot of yerba mate in a day every day or regularly have a higher risk of developing cancer.
